Machine for splicing threads



c. LEA.

MACHINE FOR'SPLICING THREADS. APPLICATION FILED 0CT.7,1915. RENEWED mmzs, 1921.

' Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

lfivenfoif Charles la 1,408,705. Patented Mar. 7,1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L a e .Ziitentoa harlea JSea C. LEA, MACHINE FOR SPLICING THREADS.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 1. 1915.. RENEWED MAY 25,1921.

.1 ,40 8,705. Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

' 4 SHEETSSHEET a.

Invn 0? Charles Lea M C. LEA.

MACHINE FOR SPLICING THREADS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-7,1915- RENEWED MAY 25.1921.

1,408,705, Patented Mar. 7', 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

a/ 6 a I9. 7. a f 3/ 84' a 32 a 30 a 3; 33 a CZ 3f a I I II i I I y T 9/; 25V l H 4 v l' 5E 4 10 f I (f 2 2 g II 3 g If y Inventor aha/flea Lea E if UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

A coitronnrion or mnssiicnnsnrr's.

MACHINE FOE'SPLICING THREADS.

Application filed. October 7, 1915, Serial 170.75 .5693

To aZZ ac/tom it may concern Be it known that I, Crrannns LEA, citizen of the United States and resident of Bos ton Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Splicing Threads of which the following is a specification. I

This invention has for its object the splicing together of warp threads or the like by fastening the overlapped ends of two sets of threads by means of metallic clips, and com-prises a machine for automatically and expeditiously feeding and binding said clips upon the successive warp threads of the series that are to be fastened together.

In general the invention embraces a travelling carriage mounted to traverse the rack bar which forms a spacing means for the two sets of threads to be joined, combined with means for automatically advancing the carriage and with clip feeding and setting mechanism automatically operatedin pro-per correlation to the movement of the carriage, as will be hereinafter explained. Other features of the invention have relation to the provision of means for automatically stop ping the carriage at any predetermined point for looking or setting the carriage in proper registry with the rack bar during each clip-setting operation, as well. asother subordinate features of improvement which will be more particularly explained in this specification and defined in the claims an nexed hereto.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form embodying the princi-ples of this invention, in which Figure l is a side elevation of the complete device mounted on the rack bar.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same, partly broken away to show working parts.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal central section showing details of the plunger or clip-setting mechanism in connection with the carriage locking device.

Figuze l is a front elevation of the clipfeeding and shearing elements.

Figures 5 and 6 are detail views showing respectively the open or unset clip and the clip after it has been set or clamped around the threads. v V

Figure 7 is a plan view in cross section through the lower part of the carriage showing the carriage-feeding and clipfeeding de vices and the means for removably locking the carriage bed to the supporting rack bar.

Specification of Letters Patent.

riage.

Patented Mar. '7, 1922.

Renewed May 25, 1921. Serial No. 472,556.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the adjust able carriage retaining bar.

Figures 9, 10 and 11 are detail views showing the means for automatically stopping the carriage at apredetermined point.

Figure 12 is a cross section showing the guide and runway through which thestrip forming the clips is fed to the plunger or setting die.

Figure 13 shows a rear View of the wave cam or interrupted worm forming the driving element of the carriage shiftingmechanism.

Generally speaking, the machine comprises a travelling carriagcadapted to be removably mounted upon a longitudinal rack bar whose equally spaced teeth serve as spacing guides for receiving the overlapped ends of two series of warp threads to be united by the clips. The moving parts of the actuating mechanism are driven from a motor-driven shaft mounted on the car- One train of mechanism operates to shift the carriage step by step along the rack bar. Anothertrain of mechanism acts to in termittently feed the strip of fastening clips,

to the successive spaces on the rack bar. Still another train of mechanism actuates a reciprocating clip-setting plunger or die to clamp or set each clip upon its warp thread after shearing it from the strip.

In the form illustrated, I provide a carriage (2- comprising a longitudinal bed having interlocking or dove-tailed engagement with a supporting rack bar 7) as best shown in Figures 1 and 2. To the rack ba' are fastened brackets (2' which serve to hold the spacing clamps which have previously been secured to the ends of each seriesof warp threads but which form no part of the present invention. At one end of the carriage a I provide a vertical frame or up right portion a formed with vertical ways to receive a reciprocating cross-head a 'in which is mounted a vertical plunger or die c which is adjustably fastened torthe crosshead by a screw and slot connection 0'. A vertically adjustable thrust screw 0 serves to form a positive stop to prevent the vertical displacement of the die or plunger 0.

The lower end of the die or plunger 0 is J mounted in the bed of the carriage spaces between the rack teeth.

continued downward movement of the plunger, according to the form indicated in Figure 6.

A motor d is mounted in suitable bearings on the carriage and its shalt 07'- carries at one end a worm 0Z intermeshing with a worm gear 0 on the horizontal shaft 6', to which shaft are'secured crank pin disks e whose pins 6 are operatively connected with pin a on either side of the cross-head in order to reciprocate said cross-head.

On one end of the shaft 6 is secured an interrupted spiral gear or wave cam whose thread orblade is perpendicular to the axis of the shaft for the greater part oi its circumference but is deflected laterally for a short distance so as to impart an intermittent movement to the intermeshing spiral gear f at each revolution oi the shaft 6. The spiral gear f is secured to the end of the vertical shaft P which carries at its lower end a helical gear 7* meshing with a helical gear 7 on the horizontal shatt On the shaft is secured a pinion f which intermeshes with the rack teeth a oi the rack bar 5 upon which'the carriage is supported. Each step in the intermittent the pinion f serves to advance the carriage one tooth along the rack bar 7).

As it is desirable that the clip-setting plunger a should register perfectly with the space between each pair of adpicent teeth, I provide means tor locking the car-- riage so as to prevent accidental displacement when the die is operating and also to secure perfect registration with the To this end I provide (Figure 3) a diagonal plunger f one end of which normally pr jects into the pathway of the reciprocating cross-hearin while tltieother end is provided withtapei'ed teeth f adapted to interlock with each successive tooth of the pinion f. This looking plunger is normally withheld from ongagement with the pinion by means of a retractile spring 7' whichallows the plunger to descend under pressure from the descending cross-head (IF and retracts the plui r when the cross-head reaches the upper part of its traverse. It will be seen that betore i the clip-setting plunger enters the rack bar the registering and locking device has already been actuated to secure the exact registration between the plunger and the space into which the clip next to be acted. upon by itis dropped. The mechanism is so timed that the carriage-advancing cam begins to move only after the plunger is raised clear otthe rack bar.

As shown inFigure' 4:, the clips :1? are 7 formed of a continuous strip of metal, each clip in alternation comprising two prongs on one side and a middle prong on the opposite rotation of yet holds it in -member 9 when the shaft g is pushed to the left. The'clutch member 9 is loose on the shaft 9* and has a bevelled gear member g engaging a beveled gear whlch 1s loose on the shaft f" and isdriven by a sour 'ear which is forced into clutchin i. tn O engagement with the inside face of the bevel gear g by means of the spiral spring gt". As shown in Figure 1, the spur gear (7" is engaged by a sector arm or lever pivotally mounted on the pivot pin g carried by the upright portion. of the trame and which has an angularly extended arm 5/ engaging a roller mounted on one of the pins a? of the reciprocating crosshead mechanism- As shown in Figure 7, the teeth 9 forming the connecting driving clutch between the pinion and the bevel gear g are inclined on one side so that the clutch A sprlng is operative in one direction only.

9 acts to maintain the arm 9 in operative contact with the roller g while also acting to returnthe lever 9 to its initial position at the'leit when the cross-head is descending. This train oft mechanism therefore acts to give an intermittent or step by step rotation to the shaft 9* and the cli i-teeding wheel 9 at each complete stroke of the cross-head.

In order to permit the carriage'to be advanced along the rack bar to any predetermined point before beginning to teed the clips, the shaft is made adjustable longi' tudinally so as to throw its clutch member 9 into or out of operative engagement with the driving clutch member gt. By merely shifting the shaft longitudinally. theretore, the clip-feeding mechanism may berendered operative or inoperative. To secure proper registration 01" the clip with the plunger passage or slideway, and alsoto prevent accidental rotated displacement ot the feed wheel, I secure to the shaft 9* a registering huh or member (7 provided with axial corrugations on its periphery adapted to he engaged by a spring-pressed member or ball (7 locatedin a retaining tube or arm 9 secured to the carriage. This ball yields suliiciently to allow the shaft to be rotated step by step by its actuating mechanism and correct position to insure proper location of the clip for the shearing operation. The spring-pressed ballal so acts riage.

dental longitudinal displacement of the shaft g.

In order that the attendant may be free to leave the machine after it has been started in operation I provide'means :t'or automatically stopping the machine when it has ompleted the work or" splicing all the warp threads contained in the rack bar To this end Iprovide a bracket or stop 2' which has a dovetailed interlocking engagement with the rack bar, as shown in Figure 9,. so that it can be set at any location on the rack bar.

This stop bracket v1 has a bore head or boss 2' in which is mounted a plunger rod 11 normally pressed outward by a compressed spring 2'. This plunger rod is located in alignment with a push button or plunger i which terms the operative member or any appropriate form of electrical. switch for making and breaking electric circuit which energizes the motor. In this case, merely for illustration, I have shown the plunger 2' provided with a projecting boss i adapted to engage one terminal- '17 of the electric circuit, the other terminalbt-iing connected directly with the movable plunger itself. A spring detent 11 serves to hold the plunger or switch member in its inner or outer position by its engagement with notches or serrations on the bottom of the plunger The switch box itself '5 is, of course, mounted on the carlVhen the carriage has advanced until the switch abuts against the stop plunger the further advance of the carriage serves to push the plunger 11 inward so that the boss 2' passes beyond the spring terminal 2' thus breaking the energizing circuit. To; start the motor again the switch rod is pulled out by hand, thus closing the contact between the boss i and the spring tcrniinal The adjustable stop member is locked in any desired position of adjustment by means of the spring-pressed ball 11 which yieldingly engages two adjacent teeth of the rack bar. The spring yields sulliciently to allow the bracket to be slid along the rack bar by the application of a substantial degree of pressure while it affords a substantiall stronger resistance than is required to overcome the resistance of the switch rod 11''. It results from this arrangement that it the switch should become broken or otherwiseinoperative to break the circuit, the stop bracket would yield under the continued pressure of the positively-driven carriage so as to prevent a breakage of the parts. in this way the yielding locking engagement between the stop member and the rack bar arts as a safety or protective device to prevent injury.

The rack bar, o'l. course, may be made quite long to accommodate either a large or a small number of warp threads for wide or narrow goods.

The body a of the carriage, is slidingly locked or retained on the rack bar by means of a dove-tail engagement formed by clamping plates a secured to the opposite sides of the body a of the carriage and having their'lower edges extended down and undercutto form a dovetail engagement with the fiaredsides of the rack bar as shown in Figures a and 7.

In order to permit the carriage to be read ily lirtted or disengaged from such dove-tail engagement with the rack bar without hav ing to slide it clear back to one end of the rack bar, I make provision for securing one of these locking bars (4 to the body of the carriage by means of a quick releasing con nection best shown in Figure 7. To this end the securing screws (a instead of having their heads bear directly against the outer face ofthe clamping bar at, actually have their heads abutting against the outer face of a slotted bolt or slide c interposed between the rack bar (4 and the heads of the bolts it. As shown, the slide belt or keeper 0 has two elongated Slots "for receiving the shanks of the bolts and across said slotted portions theslide bolt (4. is reduced in thickness to form inclined portions as shown at a, sloping down to thinner or reducedpon tionsoi' the bolt.

The slide bolt or keeper is provided with a handle a to facilitate its sliding from operative to inoperative position longitudinally oi"- the carriage. Obviously ifthe bolt is slidtoward the left (Figure '7) tliethinned or reduced portionsoi the bolt opposite the slots at will be interposed between the screw heads in, and the clamping plate a and in this position the bolt heads will. not prevent the slide bolt or keeper a, or the dovetail clamping plate of from being moved bodil in a lateral direction away from the body of the carriage, the amount of lateral movement thus permitted, being equal to the difference in thickness between the reduced portions of the bolt adjacent. to, the slots a, and the thicker portions of the main body oi the bolt. 'lhisanOvement is sufficient to allow the inwardly projecting edge of plate (4 to move outward far enough to clear the upper wide portion of the rack bar so as to permit lifting or disengaging the carriage from the rack bar at whateverpart of the rack plate the carriage may be situated.

Conversely, the carriage may be replaced on the rack bar at any intermediate point 'when the slide belt a is inthe retracted position, and the bar a 'may then be firmly locked against the side of the carriage body a, by P11811111" the bolt to the right, in which operation the inclined faces a on the outer side of thebolt, act as ca-m surfaces to force the plate o inward firmly against the body of the carriage, and "tolock it there. It will of course be understood that the screw apertures in'plate a through which the screws bolt into locking position.

are passed, are of suflicient size to permit the free lateral movement of this clamping plate. The outward movement of the plate when the bolt is slid to releasing position is assisted by means of the compression springs seated in sockets in the body. 7

The operation of the machine is. as follows: The. strip containing the connected clips is coiled upon the reel g and inserted in the runway enclosing the supporting guide pl'ateg which is made adjustable by means'of the screw and slot fastening 9 with the forward end of the strip projecting into the vertical slot or slideway of the punch a and the feed wheel 9 in operative engagement with the superimposed clip. The clamping bolt 05 is pushed back to allow the clamping plate a to open outwardly to allow the carriage to be placed at the appropriate point on the rack bar, after which the clamping plate is locked by sliding the When the machine has been set with the punch in alignment with the recess of the rack bar which contains the first set of threads to be joined, the switch 2' is moved to close the motor circuit 'and the'maohine then starts on its operation. The operator then sets the stop member 2' at the proper point to throw theswitch and stop the motor after the recesscontaining the last set of overlapped threads has been reached. The rotation of the motor shaft causes the punch to descend to clinch the clip around the threads in the rack bar recess, the plunger 7" acting during the initial part of the descent of the plunger to automatically register the descending punch with the appropriate rack bar recess. After the clinching operationwvhenthe plunger has been raised clear of the rack bar, the registering member f is released and there after the carriage. is moved forward one step or tooth by the partial rotation of the pinion f". Asthe cross-head continues its upward movement the clip-feeding wheel is advanced one step to bring the next clip into the slidcway of the clip-setting plunger in position to be sheared off and clinched around the next set of threads This operation continues until the stop-member is reached, when the machine is automatically stopped.

\Vhat I claim is: V

1. A splicing machine for splicing warp threads embracing in combination a thread positioning rack bar, a carriage slidingly supported thereon, automatically driven mechanism mounted on said carriage to actuate 1t step by step along sald rack bar and embracing an electric motor, clip, feeding and setting mechanism operatively connected with the carriage moving mechanism and dis-oonnectable therefrom at will in order to permitmovement of the carriage when the clip setting and feeding mechanism is at rest, substantially as described. V 2. A dev'ce of the class described embracing in combination with a rack bar for holding the threads to be splicecha carriage movably mounted on said rack bar, automatically operated means for advancing said carriage step by step along the rack bar, clip-feeding and setting mechanism automatically actuated in correlation with the carriage-actuated mechanism to set eat-h successive clip between the intervals of movement of the carriage, and means for stopping the carriage and clip-setting mechaisin'at a predetermined pointron the rack bar, substantially as described.

The combination with the rack bar adapted to hold the threads to be spliced, a movable carriagemounted thereon, carriage shifting mechanism, clip-feeding and setting ,mechanism, a motor 'andit's shaft mounted on said carriage, said shaft having suitably correlated driving connections with the carriage shifting mechanism and with the clipfeeding and setting mechanism whereby the threads in each successive recess of the rack bar are consecutively united, substantially as described. 7

4. The combination with the-thread-retaining rackbar, a movable carriage mounted thereon, driving mechanism mounted on said carriage in engagement with the rack bar to shift the carriage step by step longitudinally of the rack bar, and means for automatically stopping the carriage at a predetermined point onjthe rack bar, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a yarn-retaining rack bar, a movablecarriage located. thereon, clip-feeding and setting devices mounted on the carriage, automatic actuating mechanism for operating the carriage and the clip-feeding and setting mechanism in correlation, and means for automatically stopping the actuating mechanism at any predetermined point on the rack bar, substantially as described.

6. In a thread splicing machine the combination with an automatically-operated movable carriage, clip feeding and setting mechanism mounted thereon, a war-p'posi tioning rack-bar forming a guide forthe carby said connecting means may be, engaged with or released from the rack bar at any point i ntern'iediate of the ends of the rack bar, and clip-feeding and setting means moui'itcd on said carriage to cooperate with the rack bar in uniting the threads, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a warppositioning rack bar, clipsetting mechanism cooperating therewith, a movable carriage for supporting said clip-setting mechanism in operative relationship to the rack bar, longitudinal retaining ribs or plates forming an interlocking and sliding engagement with the rack bar to retain the carriage in position, one of said plates being detachably clamped against the rack bar to permit the carriage to be slidingly' locked to and to be released from any part of the rack bar, substantially as described.

9. In a warp splicing machine, the combination with the warp positioning rack bar of the clip-setting mechanism, a travelling,

carriage mounted on the rack bar, a longitudinal plate forming an interlocking connection between the rack bar and the carriage, and means for removably locking said plate into operative retaining position, substantially as described.

10. In asplicing machine the combination with a yarn-positioning rack bar of a carriage mounted to travel longitudinally thereof, carriage shifting means clip-feeding and setting mechanism mounted on the carriage to cooperate with said rack bar, a yielding stop member adapted to be located at any nedeterniined point on the rack bar to control the carriage shifting mechanism to ar rest the operation of the machine, substantially as described.

11. The combination with the yarn-holding rack bar, a travelling carriage, clip-feeding and setting mechanism mounted thereon to cooperate with the rack-bar in setting the clips on the yarn, means for advancing the carriage step by step longitudinally of the rack bar, and means for accurately positioning the carriage to cause the clip-setting mechanism to properly register with the rack bar, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a yarn-positioning rack bar of clip-feeding and setting mechanism, a supporting carriage movable along the rack bar, carriage shifting mechanism embracing a pinion in operative engagement with the rack bar, and a carriageregistering and holding device movable into operative relationship with the pinion when the carriage is at rest, substantially as de-.

scribed.

13. The combination with a yarn positioning rack bar, a carriage movable along said rack bar, a carriage shifting pinion having operative engagement with the rack bar, a clip-setting plunger mounted on said carriage, and a registering and locking member movable into operative engagement with said pinion by the descending plunger mechani substantially as described. Q

in a splicing machine the combination 1 wclri ositioning means, of a support- ;carriage, reciprocating clip-setting plunger movable in a slideway. formed in.

serving as a guide and positioning means for the carriage, substantially as described.

15. The combination of a yarn-holding rack-bar, an automatically movable carriage mounted thereon to travel longitudinally thereof, clip setting and clip feeding devices co-ordinated with the carriage moving mechanism, said clip feeding device comprising a feed wheel, an actuating shaft therefor Opel atively connected by means of a shiftable clutch and a spring detent for accurately positioning said shaft in proper rotative position while yielding to allow the intermittent rotation of said shaft, substantially as described.

16. A splicing machine embracing in combination means for positioning the work to be spliced, an automatically moved carriage, a. clip-setting mechanism mounted thereon, an intermittently rotatable feed member adapted to engage and feed successive clips into position to be acted upon by said clipsetting means, said feed actuating means being controlled by the movement of the clipsetting means, the feed actuating means bei ng provided with an adjustment for rendering it operative or inoperative at will while the carriage moves, substantially as described.

17. A splicing machine embracing means for positioning the work, a movable carriage, reciprocating clip-setting mechanism, an oscillating sector lever having operative engagement therewith, a pinion actuated by said sector lever, a rotatable clip-engaging feed wheel and its driving shaft operatively connected therewith by an in and out clutch engagement, gearing forming an operative connection between said pinion and said feed member shaft to actuate the same intermittently in one direction, a rack bar engaged by said pinion to shift the carriage, substantially as described.

18. The combination with the reciprocating clip-setting member, a feed member located to engage the clips and feed them in proper relationship to said clip-setting men her; and means for accurately positioning and retaining said feed member to insure the exact positioning of each clip presented to the clipsetting member, and a yarn-ho1ding.

rack-bar Whose teeth cooperate in succession with said clip setting mechanism to set successive clips, substantially as described.

19. The combination With a rack bar for retaining the warp threadsto be spliced a.

c1ip-setting mechanism cooperating there- 10 above specification. p

" CHARLES LEA 

